#fourteenth sunday after pentecost

[gsptucson]

Deacon Postulant, Dr. Kym Kennedy's Sermon for The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Aug. 24, 2024

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Revised Common Lectionary for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

[pastortomsteers]

Our Service for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

August 25, 2024

Pastor Tom Steers

Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto

Our Opening Hymn is: “O Christ Our True and Only Light”

Lutheran Service Book, 839 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITcK0kBrrHg

We begin our service with the Invocation:

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Confession and Absolution LSB page 184

The Introit –

Psalm 26:1-2, 6-7; antiphon: Ps. 26:8

O Lord, I love the habitation of your house

and the place where your glory dwells.

Vindicate me, O Lord,

for I have walked in my integrity,

and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me;

test my heart and my mind.

I wash my hands in innocence

and go around your altar, O Lord,

7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,

and telling all your wondrous deeds.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be forever. Amen.

O Lord, I love the habitation of your house

and the place where your glory dwells.

Our Collect Prayer:

Almighty and merciful God, defend Your Church from all false teaching and error that Your faithful people may confess You to be the only true God and rejoice in your good gifts of life and salvation; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Our Bible texts:

Old Testament – Isaiah 29:11-19

Psalm 14 (antiphon v. 7a)

Epistle - Ephesians 5:22-33

Gospel – Mark 7:1-13

The Apostles’ Creed –

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day he rose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven

and sits at the right hand of God

the Father almighty.

From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy Christian Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Our Hymn of the Day is: “Lord Help Us Ever to Remain”

Lutheran Service Book, 865 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJn7dxm3eI8

The Sermon,

The Word of God verses the word of man --

This morning Mark the Evangelist describes a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees.

A confrontation between the Word of God and the word of man.

A confrontation that will bring Christ one step closer to the cross.

The encounter is also an occasion for Mark to paint the picture of Christ and His people persecuted for the faith.

Behind all this Mark ultimately sees the hand of our real enemy, satan.

As you hear the dispute with the Pharisees, see this as more than a historical record.

It is, as well, the opposition Jesus continues to face today, through false Christian doctrine, and in persecuted Christians such as our Brothers & Sisters in Afghanistan.

When Christ confronts Saul on the road to Damascus, He asks, “Why do you persecute me?”

Jesus, of whom Mark writes, is truly and actively present in the people of God, then and now.

We see Christ in conflict with the teachers of the Law.

The issue is human thinking versus the “spirit” of God’s Word, which they violate.

Our verses from Isaiah come from a section where the prophet tells of a great calamity to befall the people because they’ve fallen away from God.

We read this passage today because it connects so well with our Gospel text.

In Isaiah, God is frustrated with His people.

He says it’s been like giving them a book they either won’t open or can’t read.

They have His Word, the truth is right in front of them, but it does no good.

The Israelites are blind, deaf, not on the same page as the Almighty.

Surrounded by the love of God and His gracious teaching, they ignore it.

God promises to take action, and that’s actually grace on God’s part, although a frightening grace.

He’ll pry their ears open so they can hear His Word.

God will do wonders and signs before them, just as He did of old.

The ‘human’ wisdom of the wise will perish.

Isaiah 29:14 is the exact verse Paul has in mind when he writes Chapter One of his first letter to the Corinthians.

The people try to hide their ways from the Lord, try to do things in secret, away from Him who knows all.

Their wisdom is foolishness, it doesn’t reflect reality.

In their world the roles of the potter and clay have reversed, with the clay making the potter.

The same is true today.

The false religion of our culture, secular materialism, would have us believe the universe, matter, created itself.

God is considered a myth, or His image and Word distorted.

The basic, simple logic of first cause, that someone brought this vast universe into being, is a reality ‘science’ has no answer for, so it ignores it.

Our society does as well, because many would rather be their own ‘gods,’ making up rules that suit them.

Isaiah warns God will answer this foolishness, and every eye will see and knee bow, as Paul declares in Philippians 2:9-11.

In our Psalm reading we hear this again:

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.”

Through the Psalmist God asks: “Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD?”

Paul quotes the third verse of this Psalm in his indictment of humanity in Romans Chapter 3.

These words of God put an end to any thought of human-based righteousness, of ‘do-it-yourself’ salvation in whole or part, of hypocritical self-sanctity.

The image of the rich, the powerful devouring the poor like a loaf of bread is horrifying, and tragically accurate.

Human, secular reasoning is used today to justify the murder of unborn children, this despite God’s Word, despite the Fifth Commandment, ignoring Bible teaching that unborn children are God’s creation, loved by Him.

We see God’s call to protect and respect the unborn in verses like Jeremiah 1:4-5; Job 31:15; Psalm 22:10-11; Psalm 139:13-16 and so many others.

Isaiah and history tell us ignoring God’s Word isn’t new.

But the results of falling away from God are tragically the same.

Untold millions have died.

It didn’t matter if it was a government of the so-called left or right; whether it was Hitler, Stalin, or Mao Tse Tung; whether today it’s North Korea or Iran or for that matter North America.

Since abortion was allowed in Canada and the U.S., more than 65 million people, unborn children, have been killed.

It’s a Holocaust.

And people ask who will stop it?

What’s the answer?

Who has the solution?

It is not ultimately with government.

Governments and politicians come and go.

It’s not with a human strategy or tactic.

The answer is found back in the 7th verse of today’s Psalm reading.

It is when God comes in.

It’s when people turn back to Him.

We know God, His will and way, from His Word, the Bible.

Today secular society turns away from God’s basic social building block: marriage.

The world would have us believe marriage is either not important or can be something other than the joining of one man and one woman.

Again, this ignores God’s Word in verses like Genesis 2:22-24; Matthew 19:4-6; and today’s reading from Ephesians Chapter 5.

The world sees marriage as a human institution to do with as it will.

The Bible sees marriage as an act of God.

It was intended for us before the fall into sin, and it is the image of something perfect, the relationship Christ established with His Church.

Paul in our passage from Ephesians is speaking of a love relationship where man and woman submit to and love one another as Jesus loves His bride, the Church.

This love and submission mirrors the submission Christ had to the Father when He went to the cross out of love for us.

Paul describes the Church as presented pure, without spot, cleansed by water and Word.

We are cleansed through the water and God’s Word in Baptism.

In marriage a man and woman become one flesh.

We become one flesh with Christ, and other believers, through the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

In our Gospel teaching from Mark, we’re again faced with the imperfect word of man and perfect Word of God.

The Pharisees go after Jesus because His disciples haven’t washed their hands before eating.

This breaks their regulations and human tradition.

Christ calls them hypocrites; they are.

Jesus quotes today’s text from Isaiah.

The Pharisees have allowed people to ignore their needy parents if they contribute to the church establishment they’re part of.

The parents can go hungry if the kids have a donation receipt.

The Son of God says this is wrong.

Jesus cites God’s Word, the Fourth Commandment to honour your parents.

He tells the Pharisees they’ve made, “void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.”

These religious authorities ignored God’s Word and replaced it with man-made regulations.

This is what Martin Luther confronted the Church of his time with.

The ‘catholic church’ had abandoned the Bible, created false human traditions, and taught salvation not through Christ alone but through obedience to rules.

The same is true today of that false church and others, and that’s why the Lutheran Reformation continues.

In our readings we’ve seen strong words of correction.

But there are even stronger words of Gospel.

Today Jesus calls us to remember that God is at the centre of the universe, not ourselves.

Our very Creator sent His only Son down to us to take on human flesh to save us, out of love, and only He could do that.

God defines us and life itself, in this world and the one to come.

Christ reminds us to be guided by God’s Word, His priorities, not our own agendas.

He calls us to a humility manifested in love and service to Him and one another.

To honour life that He alone creates.

To honour His institution of marriage as He defines it.

Jesus is in conflict with the Pharisees.

By the end of the short Gospel of Mark the only perfect man who ever lived will die on a cross to pay for our sins and be raised for our justification.

Christ’s death will be wrought by dishonest men who hypocritically condemn Him because they rely on their own salvation, their own righteousness.

Christ sets the priorities right in word and deed.

In love for His creation, that transcends our understanding, He will die, even for the stubborn Pharisees who confront Him.

As Christians, the first readers of this Gospel were also experiencing persecution.

Mark puts their experience into context.

They’re one with Jesus.

God will work with and through them in just this sort of conflict.

Their suffering is not God’s failure, but a situation God uses for good, for their witness to the Gospel.

It’s painful, even torturous, but so was the cross for Jesus.

We, as well, should not despair from persecution and difficulties the world throws at Christians, because we know that through them God can work His good purposes.

As the Apostle Paul wrote, I do not seek suffering, but I suffer in hope.

In the darkest of days, the light of Christ shines brightest.

Amen.

The Benediction –

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and + give you peace.

Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT  Page 194

THE LORD’S PRAYER  Page 196  

THE WORDS OF OUR LORD  Page 197

Pax Domini Pastor: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Congregation: Amen.

THE DISTRIBUTION

Post Communion Collect (Right-hand column) Page 201

Salutation and Benedicamus Page 201-202

Our Closing Hymn is: “Lord of Our Life”

Lutheran Service Book, 659 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLnwC-poLEs

1 Lord of our life and God of our salvation,

Star of our night and Hope of every nation:

Hear and receive Your Church's supplication,

Lord God Almighty.

2 See round Your ark the hungry billows curling;

See how Your foes their banners are unfurling

And with great spite their fiery darts are hurling,

O Lord, preserve us.

3 Lord, be our light when worldly darkness veils us;

Lord, be our shield when earthly armor fails us;

And in the day when hell itself assails us,

Grant us Your peace, Lord:

4 Peace in our hearts, where sinful thoughts are raging,

Peace in Your Church, our troubled souls assuaging,

Peace when the world its endless war is waging,

Peace in Your Heaven.

[spiritsoulandbody]

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost August 25, 2024

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[guelphicreaction]

Some there are who are careless concerning their true life, greedy of the things which pass away. But as to the things which are eternal, they either understand them not, or, understanding them, hold them to be but of little importance so that they feel no sorrow. Nor do they know how to take wise advice and, forgetting the heavenly possessions which they have lost, deem themselves -- alas, poor wretches -- happy in their goods. They lift not up their eyes to the light of truth for which they were created and no keen desire ever makes them cast a longing look toward the everlasting Fatherland. Leaving alone the chief end for which they were made, they fix their affections upon the exile which they are enduring, instead of upon their home, and make merry in the blindness which they are suffering, as though it were glorious day-light.

St. Gregory the Great, Moral Reflections on Job

First Matins Lesson of the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

[buggie-hagen]

Sermon for Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (9/3/23)

Primary Text | Romans 12:9-21

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Dear People of God,

          Today’s passage from Romans 12:9-21 I would summarize as the definition of love. Specifically, the call to Christian love. No other kind of person on earth can we expect such uncompromising love from. This kind of love is never done for the benefit of oneself, but for the benefit of others. The theologian Sarah Hinlicky Wilson once said, “Love, by its very nature, is infinite.” Love loves infinitely without expectation of a return, with love in its infinite form there is no expectation of gratitude or recognition, nor does such a Christian love use love to seek any benefit that might come to itself. Christian love simply gives of itself completely and totally. Without anything left over. The totality of Christian love is what makes it a mighty rare possession on earth. For who wants to give of themselves completely? Without leaving even a bit for oneself? In comparison, love, as it is commonly understood, is transactional. You give in order to get something in return. And if you give a lot at least we hope that there should be some benefit to us for doing it. Some might look at a list like we find in Romans 12 and think “Oh, these are just suggestions.” But alas, these are actually 14 different commands. We’ll examine a couple of them.

          One of the commands is to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). In other words, feel with others. If you know someone who is happy, who has had a great milestone in their life, be happy with them. Maybe a birthday, an anniversary, they recently graduated, they got the job they were hoping for, they have a new great-grandchild. Celebrate it with them. On the flip side, if you know someone who is sad, be sad with them. Maybe they recently lost a loved one to cancer, they’ve gone through a tough divorce, they had a miscarriage, or they simply are depressed. Feel this with them. Don’t pretend something is not hard when it is hard. It is one way that we can show that they matter, that their feelings are valid, and that they are not alone. To feel with others, whether it be in times of gladness or sadness, shows that emotions are not to be dismissed. We all have them. Doesn’t matter what gender your are. In a culture that likes to think there’s nothing wrong, we need no help from others, you get to cry. Even men get to cry. There is no shame in that. We all need help. To need help is what it means to be human. We were never meant to go it alone without the support of others. It’s not “giving up” to ask the support of your church family or your pastor—especially in your time of need. Rather, God uses your sibling in Christ to build you up, to remind you of Christ’s never-ending promise to you while you are in the middle of the most difficult of times. This is why the crucifixion is important, God does not shy away from the messiness of our lives, he does not wait until we are presentable before he steps into help. He arrives precisely in the muck. If you are unshowered, if you haven’t gotten out of bed until 2pm, if you are incontinent, no matter. God’s unconditional love remains for you. And he seeks to speak to you by the mouth of a fellow sinner.

          Now in this Romans 12 passage we really get to the heart of Christian love. We get strange words like “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them…if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:14-15, 20, 21). Perhaps people were on board with rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep. But God’s call that we must love our enemies and even do them some good is where we lose everyone. Trust me, this sends people reeling. This is the one people refuse, and it is why Christian love is one of the rarest things on earth. Our own hearts are divided. It is one thing to love someone who is good to you, who loves you back. But to bless someone who is my enemy? To not only bless them but to do only good things to them. That’s a hard sell. Your enemy by definition will not return your love. An enemy does not care for you and perhaps will actively harm you. Think of it in terms of driving. I’m betting when we are cut off in traffic we are more likely to want to show a certain finger, to curse such a person, than to say “God, please bless this person who has wronged me.” How we behave in traffic is just scratching the surface of this command to love and do good to our enemies. Some of us, if not all of us, have really experienced wrong by the hands of others. How can we love someone when we truly have been wronged? The reality is we do not have this power. We are more likely than not to curse than to bless, and to feel justified in doing so.

When we bless and we do not curse our enemies, it is to come by the power of the Holy Spirit active in us. This actually applies to any of these fourteen expressions of Christian love cited in Romans 12. Insofar as we have been renewed in baptism, we will do each of these things without even thinking. However, in this world as long as the old creature hangs around our necks, we will be weak and feeble while doing them. We won’t even know for sure that we are. The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. The faith we have been given, though weak and feeble as it is, cannot help but to love, to feed its enemies, to feel with those in their happiness and their sadness, and to do all those things into infinity. This is called faith active in love. Love is not our own work but the work of God. God himself, of course, does not need your works of love, but your neighbor certainly does—whether your neighbor be a friend or an enemy—oftentimes they are both friend and enemy at once. And remember, we love because God first loved us. He gave his Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross. There nailed with him is all our hate, all our sin, all our guilt, all our shame, all that weighs us down. Therefore, you have complete and total forgiveness of sins. You have a new creature born in you every single day which is liberated to love freely and spontaneously. When God faced the power of human evil, including the evil that resides in you and me, he did not resist but he let it kill him while on the cross—not under compulsion, but freely he let it happen to him. He faced evil and hate with only love and mercy and took it down with him into hell. What’s more, by the power of his word he rose from the dead. God let his love in Jesus Christ have the victory and made his power known by the forgiveness of sins. While we yet were ungodly Christ died for you—while we had no redeeming qualities, in his great love Christ endured all our wrongs in his crucifixion. And yet he was raised from the dead on the third day for your sake. This power now reigns in you whenever you hear this word of the good news in Jesus. And you, dear people, are a little Christ that God has placed in your little corner of the world. The cross-shaped love you have received, is also born in you—and by the Spirit you are enabled to have a cross-shaped love for anyone you come across.

[wesleyhill]

The Future is Open

A homily on Ezekiel 33:7-11, preached at Trinity Cathedral, Pittsburgh, on the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost 2020

I would speak to you in the name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

What do you after you’ve failed?

What do you do when failure isn’t just a scary prospect hovering out there on the horizon somewhere, a possibility that may still be averted, but an actual part of your story, a part of your past that you can’t undo?

In the lead-up to my being ordained (yesterday!), I did a chaplaincy internship at the VA here in Pittsburgh, and one of the things I talked with the other chaplains and Veterans about was the concept of “moral injury” — the damage you do to your conscience, or even your sense of self, when you participate in evil, or witness it without doing anything to prevent it. Moral injury is the kind of failure that can be debilitating: it can lead to despair, to an inability to function. It can eat away at your life. How do you come back from it?

One of the greatest living theologians we have is a German professor named Jürgen Moltmann. He was drafted into the Nazi army as a young man and was sent to the front lines. He surrendered to a British soldier and spent the next three years in POW camps, and one of the things he says he felt at the time (he wasn’t yet a Christian) was a profound shame. He says it took time for he and his fellow German soldiers to realize the evil of the cause they had been conscripted to serve. But once they understood about the death camps, the wave of remorse that washed over them was often too much to bear. “For me,” Moltmann writes, “every feeling for Germany, the so-called sacred ‘Fatherland’, collapsed… The depression over the wartime destruction and a captivity without any apparent end was exacerbated by a feeling of profound shame at having to share in this disgrace.”

Where do you turn after failure like that, when it’s part of your story, when you can’t escape that the thing you swore you’d never do is now, in fact, what you’ve done?

Your and my failures are probably more mundane than Jürgen Moltmann’s. We may feel remorse over the phone call we refused to return, the apology we felt we just couldn’t make, and now the relationship is gone. Maybe one day in a fit of rage we said the words to our teenage daughter or son that we promised we’d never say, and now there’s a lost closeness that we’re not sure we can ever get back. Maybe we gambled with our health or our savings or our grades or our retirement or our boss’s goodwill — and lost. Whatever your particular failure may be, the thing that they all share in common is that they’re done. Our failures are just there now, as a permanent fixture of our past, ready to be recalled, ready to shame, dismay, and maybe even kill us.

Because the thing about past failure is that it seems to stubbornly intrude on the future. It isn’t just that we regret the past; it’s that the failure that is there seems to foreclose hope for the days we have left. We feel that we’ve not only ruined our history; we fear that we’ve sullied the time ahead.

When the prophet Ezekiel addressed God’s people Israel in the sixth century before Christ, he spoke to a people convinced that their future was over before it even started because of their past failure.

The first time the Lord appoints Ezekiel as a sentinel, He tells him that his prophetic ministry will not succeed: “[T]he house of Israel will not listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me; because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.” And, sure enough, what Ezekiel must prophesy is the Lord’s judgment on Israel’s sin and rebellion.

By the time we get to our reading for this morning, all those judgments have already come to pass. God’s people did not turn from their idolatry. They did not mourn their sin. They played the whore and broke their covenant promises. And now, at the time of our reading, they are overshadowed by foreign armies. They have tasted the wrath of God, and it seems their life in covenant with God has reached its end.

God's people are all too aware of their own fault, their own failure to heed God’s voice and to turn away from sin and repent. And Israel says to the Lord: “Our transgressions and our sins weigh upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?” The people “see no escape [from their grief and turmoil], since their past disobedience will always be there, prohibiting any hope of restoration” (Robert Jenson).

But the word of the Lord that came to the prophet Ezekiel says otherwise: “Now you, mortal, say to the house of Israel…, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?” Contrary to what God’s people believe about themselves — that their future is simply doom and decay — the Lord promises that He does not enjoy seeing anyone taken away in judgment. If we are tempted to believe that our future is dark because, given our past failure, it is now going to be God’s sadistic delight to make us pay, the Lord tells us that is not who He is at all. On the contrary, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.”

And so, through His prophet, the Lord says to His people that their past does not determine their future. The future is open — it is offered to the people as a gift, as an opportunity to turn back, to make a fresh beginning, to once again welcome God’s promises and lovingkindness, to walk in the light of the Lord’s good teaching — in short, to live, to really live.

How can this be?

One of the constant refrains throughout the entire ministry of the prophet Ezekiel is this: “The word of the Lord came to me.” The word of the Lord came to me. This is the same word that gave what it commanded in the beginning: God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. There is no gap or hiatus between what the word of the Lord decrees and what actually takes place: the Lord’s word is powerful, effectual, creative. So if the word of the Lord says to Israel that the Lord takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but instead desires that His people’s future be open, then it is.

Christians know that this powerful word of the Lord isn’t an abstraction: “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” The Word of the Lord is Jesus Christ who has pitched His tent among us and made our life His own. He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He says to us, “Let me have your past. Let me have all your failures. Let me take them and bear them — and bear them away.” He has suffered the curse of Israel’s exile in His own body on the cross and brought it to an end. And on the third day God raised Him from the dead. Now Jesus is alive. He goes before us, opening the future to us.

“As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live.”

“Live!” the risen Christ says to us this morning. And because He lives, we do.

Amen.

[pamphletstoinspire]

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (September 15th) by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1882

“No man can serve two masters.”–Matt. 6.

No one can serve two masters, as Christ Himself assures us. And yet what a number of those who believe in Christ, although they dare not, of course, contradict the Word of Christ in explicit terms, yet do so by their lives! They live as if they would like to serve both God and the world; they do not want to be at variance with God or the world.

These are the people who do things by halves; who can not choose between two ways, and resemble the children of Israel at the time of the prophet Elias. Men who conduct themselves differently in Church and out of it; who behave differently in company of priests, and of those who scoff at religion and her ministers; men who sin and confess, confess and sin; who live in habitual sins, and whatever they do, as children of the Church, do it by habit ; and as to their business matters and worldly affairs, they follow the same principles as the heathens and worldlings.

And who is not aware what a contagious and seducing influence their example has on the lives of others! How important, therefore, is it that we reflect earnestly upon the words of Christ: “No one can serve two masters.” “He who is not with Me is against Me;” “He who gathereth not with Me, scattereth.”

We shall today consider one of these two masters, namely: God and His service, and we shall reflect what kind of a master God is, and how meet it is to serve Him earnestly, joyfully, and perseveringly.

Mary, who hast called thyself a handmaid of the Lord, pray for us, that we may live in such a manner, as to be justified in saying: I am a servant, a handmaid of the Lord! I speak in the holy name of Jesus, to the greater honor of God!

O my God, my Lord! This is an ejaculation which we very frequently utter. We justly call God also our Lord. He is our Creator, from Whom we have received everything, by the power of Whose will all nature came into existence and continues in it. And, therefore, it is our duty to serve God willingly, and to serve Him as perfectly as possible.

Would it not be a disgrace if we, as reasonable beings, who know God, and call Him our Father, would in this respect allow ourselves to be excelled by irrational creatures? But in order that this desire, this resolution, be renewed and strengthened within us, let us consider frequently, yes, daily and hourly, in what an infinitely higher degree all those qualities, which in ordinary life induce us to serve a person, are combined in God.

The first quality which distinguishes a person whom we would wish to serve and own as master, is his respectability, his dignity, that he is of high rank, perhaps a governor, a king, or even an emperor.

An office at court, even if very insignificant, is nevertheless highly valued, because of the social position of the person whom we serve. It is for the sake of honor and distinction that even counts and princes sue for offices at a kingly court. Yes, even an ordinary valet or cook of a king or emperor, deems himself superior to his less fortunate brethren.

Now, then, let us reflect upon the meaning of these words: “God! I serve God.” Have we not weighty reasons for exclaiming with St. Michael: “Who is like to God?” God, I serve Thee! Thee Whom all the angels and saints, all the heavenly chiefs serve, and whose glory and magnificence heaven and earth proclaim.

But what still more determines us to serve a person, to acknowledge him as master, is his personality, the nobility and uprightness of his character, which cause us to feel that he would never demand anything of us save what is good and praiseworthy.

If in spirit we listen to the Sanctus, which all the Seraphim repeat continually before the throne of God, with what determination will we exclaim: “Thou three times holy God, my Lord; I serve Thee! What wouldst Thou have me do?”

The third quality which would induce us to enter the service of another, and acknowledge him our master, is his goodness. We would gladly serve one whose greatest delight is to make all his dependents happy, and to bestow favors upon them, especially if we ourselves have already received benefits from him. How frequently we hear one person saying to another: Oh, if I could always be with you! Oh, how can I ever repay you for all you have done for me!

Let us apply this to God and His service. God is in Himself infinite, perfect goodness. And this goodness He desires to impart to all human beings whom He has created. Just as it is in the nature of the sun to impart light and heat, so it is also peculiar to the goodness of God to continually bestow favors upon a creature, as far as it is susceptible of them, and does not on its part oppose any barrier. He rewards our service, even on this earth, by the joys of a good conscience, by the possession and enjoyment of many created objects, and by His communication with us in prayer. What an inducement for us to serve God, even if we had not received from Him any special promise of reward!

I said that if we had received numerous and precious gifts and favors from another, our gratitude would prompt us to serve him. The animals are ready to serve their masters for the food they obtain from him; they accompany him every-where, and at times even sacrifice their lives for their benefactor.

Let us apply this also to God, our Creator and Preserver and Redeemer. Oh, how many important, precious graces and treasures have we not already received from God, from the moment of our birth until the present day! Body and soul, the use of our senses, every ray of light, every breath we draw, every morsel of food, every refreshing draught, every thread of our garments, also the talents which we possess, all that we enjoy in this life we owe to God. And when we remember the grace of redemption, our calling to the true Church, and all the gifts and graces which, as children of the Church, we possess and receive at every moment, have we not motives for the deepest gratitude? Should we not exclaim: Merciful God, my Lord and Benefactor, I thank Thee; I will serve Thee gratefully?

The fourth quality which induces us to enter the service of a person is the compensation. If the reward is considerably greater than that given by other masters, and if at the same time we are aware that in the service of this person, we will be provided for and made happy, then we will not only be willing and anxious to serve such a master, but deem ourselves most fortunate in being received into his service.

What an inducement for us to exclaim joyfully: O God, my Lord and Renumerator, I will serve Thee! Even on this earth we enjoy the hundred-fold that consolation and joy which Christ has promised all followers in the service of the Lord. And furthermore, for every good work which we perform, we have the promise of an eternal reward. For every good deed there awaits us a recompense, of which it is written: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love Him.” Whosoever shall glorify Me, him will I glorify.” “Enter into the joys of thy Lord.” Who would not be willing to serve a prince, or king, or emperor, who, as a reward, would permit his servant to share his power and glory; and still more if he would give him the promise of a throne, and enable him to rule as a king?

This is the case in the service of the Lord, and it should encourage us in the divine service. “I myself,” says the Lord, “will be thy great reward.” “Thou hast made us kings, that we might reign eternally,” so rejoice the saints in heaven, as St. John affirms.

We gladly serve another if he is united to us by ties of kindred. And this can be said with regard to the service of God. He is not only our God, but at the same time our Father. Even in this world we call ourselves His children, and it is not yet known what we shall enjoy when once we shall enter His glory.

And when the fire of divine love inflames our heart, and we have even on earth a foretaste of the eternal union with God, in what transports of joy does not then the soul break forth: “O my God! my love, I am Thine! Lord, I serve Thee, because I love Thee. Lord! what dost Thou wish me to do?” Amen!

“No man can serve two masters.” Matt. 9.

Either to the right or to the left. This shall one day be the sentence of the divine Judge. The one or other will befall every one of us; and the decision will depend upon the life we have led on earth, whether we have served God or the world; that is, whether we were replenished with the Spirit of God, and by Him enlightened and strengthened to know and accomplish the Divine will, and to provide for that which is to come after death, and which will endure for all eternity; or whether, on the contrary, the spirit of the world had taken possession of our hearts and inflamed us with the desire to live as honored and as happy as possible during our brief sojourn on this earth, unconcerned whether we were accomplishing the will of God or not.

Either the Spirit of the Holy Ghost enkindles our hearts, and urges us to walk in the way of the Lord, with determination, strength and fidelity, or the spirit of the world possesses our hearts, and we serve the world; that is to say, we seek that which the world displays and promises; we let it persuade us that the service of man is of greater importance than the service of God, that we ought to feel greater dread of offending man than God; we live, so that we expose ourselves to its dangers, and, as the Apostle threatens, of perishing with the world.

I will prove to you today what a disgrace and folly it is to serve the world and her maxims, instead of serving God.

Mary, mother of God, spouse of the Holy Ghost, pray for us, that the Holy Spirit may destroy in us the spirit of the world, and that, as thy children, we may serve God and be saved! I speak in the holy name of Jesus, to the greater honor of God!

I said, it is either the Spirit of God which reigns in our hearts, and induces us to enter the service of God, strengthening and encouraging us therein; or it is the spirit of the world, which impels us to serve the world and live in compliance with its principles. But woe to us, if we serve it and acknowledge it as our master!

What I understand by the world, and the spirit of the world, I have intimated in my introduction.

The world, taken in this sense, is that portion of mankind whose desires are all concentrated on the possessions, honors and enjoyments of this life. These children, servants, slaves of the world, look upon religion as a secondary matter; they do not trouble themselves about it in the least, but imagine and say that all religions are one and the same; the first and most important care is happiness in this life, come what may in the next!

To the world, in this sense, belong those also who, with their lips, profess the doctrines of faith, but by their lives deny them and side with the scoffers of religion, and infidels who do not believe in a life to come, and will not admit of any other than the one here below.

In this signification did Christ say of the world: “The world is full of wickedness.” In this sense did Christ speak of the world when He said: “Father, I pray Thee, but not for the world.” Of this world it is written: “Who sides with it, shall perish!”

And yet what a number, even of the children of the Church, follow the world, and labor in her service, instead of the service of God. How foolish and deluded these worldlings are is apparent, when we reflect, on the one hand, upon the qualities of God, which particularly induce us, and encourage and strengthen us in serving Him as our Lord and Master; and, on the other hand, compare them with the opposite qualities which characterize the world and its service.

I say: Let us serve God; He is of Himself an infinite and most glorious Being the Creator, Preserver, and Ruler of the earth.

What is the world? The world in itself, taken in its broadest sense, includes all things in nature; it is nothing of itself; was nothing from all eternity; and does not exist of itself, but through God, without whose support it would at any moment fall back into its original nonentity.

And what are all those, of whom I have before spoken, who are living in this world and for this world? What are they, all these sinners, even if every one of them be adorned with a royal diadem? They are all nothing of themselves; they have come into existence in disgrace with God, owing to the fall of our first parents. And in what a miserable state are they, owing to the countless actual sins which they have committed during their life ! They are beings whose souls were created according to the image of God, but who, by their willful, actual sins, have stamped it with the likeness of Satan, the father of sin. As to their bodies, they may justly be compared to a mass of putrid matter.

And what is all their exterior power and glory and possessions? vanishing smoke,–a bauble, which glitters today and disappears tomorrow! They are beings who, with us, will soon appear at the judgment seat of God, and, as slaves of Satan, will be condemned to eternal perdition! And is it possible that we could resolve to serve the world in preference to God? What an ignominy!

But God in His glory is, at the same time, infinite holiness and goodness. Let us serve Him. What is the world which, on the other hand, seeks to draw us away from God, and advises us to follow her? The world, whose banner bears the inscription: Concupiscence of the eyes, concupiscence of the flesh, and pride of life–she is a sink, a filth, and a rankness!

Could we but view the frightful sins which the worldling commits daily and hourly! Could we but see the loathsomeness of the vices of pride, vanity, covetousness, envy, anger, gluttony, and lust to which the worldling is addicted, we would blush with same!

And how frequently does it not happen that persons, whom we have considered just and virtuous, are stripped of their mask by some unexpected occurrence, and they appear steeped in abominable vices! And should we serve such a world? No; if we look upon her, covered with the filth of sin, we will answer her with determination and indignation: Filthy world, depart!– I will follow my God; for He is perfect holiness, and His true servants and children are noble and holy.

God is, moreover, infinite goodness; He is our constant Benefactor, bestowing His benefits from the moment of our conception. He grants a reward, even on this earth; for He requites even a good thought with that feeling of peace and love which gives us a foretaste of the sweetness of the Lord's service even in this world; He will finally reward us in the life to come, when we will receive an eternal, incalculable recompense for every good thought and desire, for every good work performed in His service.

The world, on the contrary, is naught but selfishness and egotism; she loves but self, and all other things merely for the sake of self. She does not possess that goodness which loves to share with others; on the contrary, she seeks to accumulate all she can for herself, and those who serve her are requited poorly and wretchedly. “The world's reward is ingratitude,” says an old proverb.

A proof of this are the cares and difficulties which harass a person whilst endeavoring to earn his daily bread. How often he is at a loss! How frequently he is disappointed in his expectations, defrauded of his rights, injured in his possessions, or deprived of them altogether, just because he served the world and her followers!

And suppose this were not the case, but that the sinner could possess and enjoy all in this world,– the wounded conscience would not permit him to enjoy it peacefully. Holy Scripture and experience teach us that “there is no rest for the wicked.”

Oh, how dreadful the pangs of a guilty conscience! But even if this were not the case, still what a void the human heart experiences amid the possessions and enjoyment of all created objects and pleasures! This caused Solomon to exclaim: “Vanity of vanities!” And why? St. Augustine replies: “Thou hast, O Lord, created this heart for Thee, and it rests not until it rests in Thee.”

And if the worldling would really feel happy and contented in his possession, how soon–how very soon– will death deprive him of all, and then what awaits him in eternity?

For the little which the world has given him for his fidelity in her service, if thereby he has grievously offended God, she will prepare for him, for every sin ful thought, every desire, and every deed,–for every sinful enjoyment in her service,–eternal sufferings!

Beloved in Christ, when we reflect upon the character of the world, and upon the consequences of serving her, her persuasions lose their power of drawing us away from God; and yet we can scarcely comprehend how it is possible that, nevertheless, so many persons, even children of the Church, do not live in the service of God, but in that of the world,–the vain, wretched, sinful, selfish, deceptive, and transitory world, and in this manner expose themselves to the danger of perishing with her!

Therefore, children of the Church, reflect continually upon that, of which my sermon of today reminds you; examine your conscience daily in regard to it, and say to yourself: Should I serve such a deceitful world, and prefer her to my God? No–never!–Amen !

“You can not serve God and mammon.”–Matt. 9.

Christ speaks of two masters who demand our services, namely: God and the world. He declares, at the same time, that it is impossible to serve both. We can easily comprehend why Christ declares this twofold service impossible. The consideration of God and His nature, and of the world and her doings, will prove that to serve both is utterly impossible. God is infinite perfection and holiness; the world is full of wickedness.

The service of God has relation to our life in the next world; the service of the world regards only that which is temporal, that which exists at present, but will one day pass away. The service which God requires of us is inseparably united with the fulfillment of the duties of our holy religion. The world cares not for religion, nor for the sanctification of our lives. The service of God is incompatible with sin; the service of the world is inseparable from sin.

These are contrasts which are evidently not compatible. This opposition shows itself particularly in the wrong aim which the world pursues in her doings and movements, and which stamp the children of the world as worldlings, namely: The inordinate desire for money, covetousness and avarice.

The Gospel applies the word “blessed” to the poor; the world, on the contrary, applies it to the rich. This is even proven by an old saying: Money is the god of the world. The worldling is prepared to do anything for the sake of money.

Let us consider today how despicable, foolish and dangerous is covetousness and the inordinate desire for money. In other words: We will notice the contrast between the service of mammon and the service of God.

Mary, thou poor virgin of Nazareth, mother of the poor infant Jesus, pray for us, that our hearts may be freed from covetousness and avarice. I speak in the holy name of Jesus, to the greater honor of God!

Love of money, covetousness, avarice–the religion of the world! What is avarice? It is that pernicious tendency of the human heart to have and to possess, for the sake of having and possessing.

What does Scripture say of this disposition which prompts a man to attach himself to money, and to temporal possessions? Holy Scripture, through the mouth of St. Paul, calls it: Idolatry. This appellation is not an oratorical exaggeration, but it literally marks the character and the nature of covetousness; yes, it is truly idolatry, for idolatry consists in transferring to a creature the worship which we owe to God alone. And in what does this worship consist? Christ gives the answer: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength.” But it is thus exactly the avaricious person is disposed in regard to money and worldly possessions.

You, who love money, am I correct? Ask your heart. Christ says: “Where your treasure is, there is also your heart.” That is, there your thoughts, desires, resolutions and endeavors will center. Now, then, what is your first thought on awaking in the morning? Not God, but your business–your probable gain or loss. Of what do you think during the day? Your whole attention is given to your occupation, to gaining wealth. And this also is your last thought at night! Not what you have won or lost for heaven, during the course of the day; but what you have profited or lost in your business!

I believe there are persons of this kind even now before me, who, during their lives, have endeavored their utmost to gain every cent they possibly could. And what is the consequence? Your money is your god; the excessive care, the money-question, is your religion!

I therefore justly remark, in the first place: What an abominable vice is avarice, both in the sight of God and your own! No, you can not serve God and mammon at the same time.

I say, secondly: It is a degrading and absurd disposition of mind. Degrading, without doubt! Remember the words which St. Paul addressed to the heathens: “You are of a godly race, and you adore gold, your idols of gold!” Are you not ashamed to adore gold? The man of money, if he is a Christian, would not, of course, adore a statue of gold, as did the heathens, nor a golden calf, as did the faithless Israelites. But still the nature of their worship is precisely the same, as I have before shown you; and, in our times, this gold and money-service is still more degrading, since paper is the representative of gold at present. And what is paper? Rags and tatters are the materials of which it is made, and yet with what an eager eye the man of money regards such a rag when the worth of a hundred or a thousand dollars is stamped upon it; for its possession he sacrifices time and opportunity of doing good, and of laboring for the salvation of souls.

Deluded and foolish man! The more so when we reflect upon the words of the Holy Ghost, which affirms that: “Every sin shall in itself be punished.” These words may be justly applied to avarice.

For the covetous person, instead of being free from care, and using his accumulated wealth for the procuring of comforts which might render his life more pleasant and enjoyable, is every day more and more disturbed by the care of his money and possessions. And it frequently happens that the wealthier a person becomes, the less he imagines he possesses, and he strives with still greater anxiety to acquire more, and to secure what he has.

Christ speaks of the thorns which choke the good seed, and He Himself explains that the thorns signify the cares of man for the goods of this world.

And experience proves how disastrous temporal cares are to the spirit of piety. It is owing to our extreme anxiety about the goods of this world that in many cases the good resolutions which we form during a sermon, or in the confessional, are stifled and rendered fruitless.

What a dangerous disposition of mind is the inordinate desire of money! If we are in earnest, to serve God and be saved, it is necessary to begin even in our youth to raise our hearts heavenward. It is necessary that we not only earnestly and zealously strive to know our duties, but also to perform them. It is likewise necessary to use faithfully the means which God in His mercy has given us as children of the Church; namely: prayer, divine service, and the Holy Sacraments, and to seek carefully the means and opportunities of performing as many corporal and spiritual works of mercy as possible. The craving for money prevents all this.

Even in early youth, when there is question of choosing a path for life, the thought: whether such is the state to which God has called us, and which will offer the best opportunities for serving Him, does not enter our minds. We only take care to see whether it is a state which offers us prospects of becoming rich, of providing for ourselves. And this is our aim during all successive years; we thereby neglect the duties of our religion, excusing ourselves by saying: We have no time for prayer! And why? I must attend to my business. And how very often this could be postponed for a half hour or an hour; we could even hear a Mass; but for this we no longer find it worth the while to devote a few minutes.

Thus we begin the day without morning-prayer, and pass it without one thought of God; neglect spiritual reading and the reception of the Holy Sacraments, and thus become careless as to gathering treasures for the life to come; and, by committing mortal sins, we become traitors to Christ. Could our Lord have allowed a more heinous crime for the warning of the children of the Church than the base treachery of Judas!

He, as an Apostle, was chosen from among the whole race of mankind to come in daily contact with Christ. He was with our Lord during three years, conversed with Him, and listened to all His sermons, witnessed His miracles, even the resurrection of Lazarus; and, despite all these favors, his love for money caused him to become a traitor, and to sell his Lord and Master for an ignominious price . Take a look at him, suspended by the neck,–at him, the Apostle and suicide!

Christians! let this example be a warning to you! Woe to you, if your heart is more attached to mammon than to God, and if you labor more earnestly for money than in the service of God! I fear you are one of those souls in whom the threat of our Lord will be verified: “Woe to the rich!” Amen!

The Works Of The Flesh And The Fruits Of The Spirit by Fr. Johann Evangelist Zollner, 1883 In the Epistle of last Sunday, St. Paul brought before us the important truth that men are not justified by the observance of the Mosaic Law, but by the belief in Jesus Christ. But the faith which justifies us and leads to salvation is not an inactive, dead faith, but a living faith, which consists in this, that we not only believe all that God has revealed and proposes to our belief by the Catholic Church, but also that we live according to the precepts of faith; that therefore we keep the commandments, mortify all inordinate desires and passions, shun sin and vice and diligently practice the Christian virtues. St. Paul speaks in the Epistle of this day on that living, active faith. He treats,

I. Of the struggle between the flesh and the spirit, II. Of the works of the flesh, III. Of the fruits of the spirit.

Part I.

1. In the very beginning of the Epistle, he tells us what must be done in order not to succumb in the struggle with the flesh; he says: “Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.” To walk in the spirit means to live according to the will of God, according to the doctrine of Jesus and the maxims of the Gospel, to obey the inspirations and impulses of the Holy Ghost. He who lives thus “shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh,” that is, he will not permit himself to be led into evil by concupiscence and the motions of corrupt nature, therefore he will not sin. By Baptism we have been made members of the Church of Christ, and the Holy Ghost has taken up his abode within our hearts; we are, therefore, in the happy condition of walking always in the spirit; for the Church teaches us what we must do and what avoid, and the indwelling Holy Ghost gives us His grace to overcome the lusts of the flesh and to live piously. We have therefore no excuse when we allow ourselves to be governed by the lusts of the flesh and thereby fall into sin. “The lust (of sin) shall be under thee, and thou shalt have dominion over it.”–Gen. 4: 7. These words, which God spoke to Cain, apply to us.

2. Now the Apostle describes the struggle between the flesh and the spirit, in these words: “The flesh lusteth against the spirit; and the spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary one to another, so that you do not the things that you would.”

(a) By flesh we understand that inclination to evil, which is a consequence of original sin, and is therefore found in all men. Of it God says in the Old Testament: “The imagination and thought of man's heart are prone to evil from his youth.”–Gen. 8: 21. And St. James writes: “Every man is tempted, being drawn away by his own concupiscence, and allured:”–I: 14. By spirit we understand the better disposition in man, which has its spring in God, who through the conscience and his Church and in many other ways operates upon us, that we know what is right and good, are pleased with what is good, and strive for it and practise it.

(b) The most perfect harmony existed between the spirit and the flesh in that state of innocence in which man came forth from the hand of God; man, indeed, had concupiscence, not to evil, but to good–a concupiscence which was perfectly subject to the spirit, and desired only what was right and comformable to the will of God. In consequence of original sin, a great change took place in our concupiscence; it often resists the spirit and will not obey, but desires to rule; it always desires what seems agreeable, without caring whether it be good or evil, it sets everything in motion in order to obtain the object of its desires. It allures man to impurity, revenge, envy, avarice and injustice; in short, to all sins and vices. It operates upon the senses of the body, upon the eyes and ears, and upon the faculties of the soul, upon the understanding, will and memory, and seeks to make them subservient to sin. Now when the spirit resists and rejects its demands, a struggle ensues; for concupiscence is not easily silenced, but insists upon its demand and makes vehement attacks to obtain its own way. If the spirit were depending on its natural powers, it would often yield in the combat with concupiscence; but, assisted by God's grace, it is able to come forth victorious even from the most desperate struggle. Hence the Apostle says: “I can do all things in Him who strengtheneth me.”–Phil. 4: 13.

(c) This struggle between the spirit and the flesh lasts to the end of our lives. The concupiscence which dwells in us is never entirely subdued; it causes countless temptations, and renders all good actions difficult. For instance, you are patiently to bear a humiliation, to forgive an enemy, to suppress an unchaste desire, to renounce something agreeable. Concupiscence at once arises and tries to prevent these good actions. Thus our life upon earth is “a continual warfare.”–Job, 7: 1. The concupiscence within us will die only with our last breath.

(d) Because concupiscence operates upon our will and seeks to lead it into evil, the Apostle says that we must not do all things that we would. We must not yield to the allurements of concupiscence. If it entices to any sin and with vehemence demands its will, we must say with courage and determination: I must not, and I will not do it. A king once asked two clergymen at his court, who on account of their modesty were very highly esteemed, whether it was true that they carried with them a certain herb which had the virtue of driving away bad thoughts and desires. When they answered in the affirmative, he asked further, what kind of an herb it was. They replied, that the herb was the fear of God, that this banishes all sinful thoughts and desires. Thus the fear of God will be to us a shield from which all the arrows of concupiscence rebound.

3. But the Apostle shows us a still more effectual means to gain the victory over concupiscence, when he writes: “But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law.” He intends to say: Christians who have reached a higher degree of perfection and are filled altogether with the love of God, avoid evil and do good without being compelled to it by the law and its threats. Christians who love God do not ask whether something is commanded or forbidden under pain of sin; on the contrary, they esteem themselves happy and find their pleasure in doing whatever they know to be pleasing to God. They stand, therefore, above and outside of the law; it is as if they had no law at all, just because it is love that urges them everywhere and always to do the will of God. Therefore St. Augustine says: “Love, and do what you please.” He who loves God above all things, will not succumb in the combat with concupiscence, but will courageously fight against it and overcome it and serve God with fidelity all the days of his life. Love is strong as death. Many waters cannot quench charity.–Canticle 8: 6, 7.

Part II.

The Apostle now enumerates the works of the flesh: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest; which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcraft, enmities, contentions, emulations, wrath, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envy, murders, drunkenness, retellings, and such like. Of which I foretell you, us I have foretold to you, that they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God.”

1. First in order appears the vice of voluptuousness in all its kinds. This vice is disgraceful for every man, because it degrades him to the low rank of the irrational beast, but especially for the Christian, whose body is a temple of the Holy Ghost (I. Cor. 6: 18-20), and which becomes most intimately united with Jesus in holy Communion. Hence the Apostle elsewhere says: “Fornication and all uncleaness, let it not so much as be named among you, as it becometh saints.”–Eph. 5: 3. The vice of voluptuousness robs man of innocence, that precious jewel which makes him even in this life equal to the Angels of heaven, but which once lost, can never be recovered. The vice of voluptuousness denies man and degrades all the senses, powers and faculties of man: the eyes by unchaste looks, the ears by the wanton hearing of immodest words, the tongue by immodest conversation, the imagination by thousands of shameful representations, the will by complacency in abominable things; the vice of voluptuousness leads to all other sins and vices, especially to unbelief, to despair, and to suicide. How much God hates this vice history shows us in terrible examples. This vice caused the deluge to drown the whole human race, with the exception of Noe and his family (Gen. 6: 12); that five and twenty thousand Israelites perished in the desert (Numb. 25: 9); that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with all their inhabitants were destroyed from the face of the earth.–Gen. 19. The lot of the voluptuous in the next world is eternal damnation. “Their portion shall be in the pool burning with fire and brimstone.”–Apoc. 21: 8. Ah! shun the vice of impurity, which in our time is so prevalent in the world, and on account of which countless men will be damned forever. Be modest and reserved and take no indecent liberties with yourselves or others. Take an example from the Emperor Maximilian I., who had such a tender modesty, that going to bed or getting up from bed he did not allow himself to be assisted either in taking off or putting on his clothes. Even in death, he gave a splendid proof of this beautiful virtue. When he felt his end approach, he ordered a shirt and a pair of pantaloons; he put them on himself, and gave directions that he should be buried in these clothes.

2. The second class comprises the sins against the love of our neighbor; enmities, contentions, emulations, wrath, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envy, murders. These sins also deserve all our hatred and detestation, because they break the bond of peace and concord, and cause great mischief. Was it not hatred that made Cain a fratricide? Was it not envy that made Jacob's sons persecutors of their innocent brother Joseph? Was it not anger that made King Asa the tyrant of his subjects?–II. Paralip. 16: 14. These sins are especially damnable among us Christians, because they are directly opposed to our principal law, the love of God, which Christ has given us. “This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.”–John, 15: 12. “Love your enemies; do good to them that hate you; and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you.”–Matt. 5: 44. Shun all sins against the love of your neighbor, especially hatred, envy, contentions and quarrels. Do not forget that you are all brothers in Christ Jesus, and are called to be admitted into heaven, where only heart-felt love and friendship reign among the elect.

3. The third class comprises the sins against temperance, viz., drunkenness and gluttony. Those who use intoxicating drink to excess and often come to such a pass that they lose reason and no longer know what they are saying or doing, are guilty of drunkenness. One can see drunken men reel and stagger, fall down, roll in the mire, and do things of which they are ashamed when they become sober. Those sin by gluttony who in eating transgress the right measure, who find their happiness in the gratification of the palate, and make their belly their god. Drunkenness and gluttony are vices which disgrace man and lower him below the level of the brute, for the dumb animal ceases to eat and drink when it has enough. These vices are particularly dangerous for Christians, who ought to lead a sober, mortified life. Having enumerated these works of the flesh, the Apostle says: “They who do such things, shall not obtain the kingdom of God.” Therefore, the unchaste, the uncharitable, and the intemperate shall be excluded from the kingdom of God and shall be condemned to everlasting fire. Who should not carefully guard against these vices? Who should not, if he be contaminated with one or the other of them, tear himself from it at once and do penance? Reflect on the words of St. Augustine: “Short is what rejoices; but eternal what burns.”

Part III,

The Apostle contrasts the fruits of the spirit with the works of the flesh, in these words: “The fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity.” St. Paul does not say the fruits, but the fruit of the Spirit, because these virtues have their origin in charity; all come forth from it, like branches from the trunk, and are properly nothing else than effects of charity. He calls them the fruit “of the Spirit,” that is, of the Christian enlightened and governed by the Holy Ghost; for as a good tree yields good fruit, so also Christians in whom the Holy Ghost abides, bring forth virtues and good works. The fruits of the Spirit then are:

1. Charity; that is, the love of God and of our neighbor; the love of God, which manifests itself especially by a conscientious fulfilment of his commandments; the love of our neighbor, which requires that we wish well to our fellow-men, and help them in their necessities according to our ability. Where charity is, there God is; and he that remains in charity remains in God, and God in him. Joy: It is a pure pleasure in God's grace, in His wise and merciful providence, in the purity of conscience, and in all that is truly good and pleasing to God. This joy is a hidden manna, of which worldlings have no idea, and in comparison with which all earthly and sensual joys are a mere nothing. He who carries this joy in his heart is rich even in poverty, and rejoices in persecutions and sufferings. Peace: Peace with God, with our neighbor and with ourselves. A result of this peace is the quietude of conscience and the sweet conviction that we possess the grace and friendship of God. He who possesses this fruit of the Spirit possesses the most desirable good of life, contentedness; he lives quietly, dies quietly, and enters into the house of eternal rest.

2. Other fruits of the Spirit are: Patience, which renders everything easy. He who possesses this virtue, remains composed under the severest hardships and trials; he murmurs not, complains not, but is perfectly resigned to the will of God, and says: “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord, so it is done; blessed be the name of the Lord.”–Job, 1: 21. Benignity, a lovely virtue, which causes us to meet all men, even the lowliest, affably and kindly, and carefully avoid in our conduct what could irritate or repulse any one. Goodness: Christians who possess this virtue do good to their fellow-men according to their ability. They are not satisfied with doing to them what they owe them from justice, but they are also ready everywhere to help, without having any other obligation than that of charity, and without expecting any reward in this world.

3. Other fruits of the Spirit are: Longanimity, which bears the weaknesses and frailties of our fellow-men with patience, which defers reprimand and chastisement as long as possible, and never despairs of the amendment of the erring. It is a principal virtue for parents, teachers, and educators, and all spiritual and temporal superiors. Mildness: He who possesses this virtue is always quiet and calm; his speech is mild; his admonitions affectionate; even when reproving he is gentle and sparing. He bears everything with a quiet mind, is not irritated by anything; he keeps silence when wrong is done him, and defends himself calmly; he smothers every motion of indignation in his heart, forgives those who offend him, and does them good, when he can. Oh, that we all would learn of our divine Saviour to be meek and humble of heart! Faith, which refers to God and man. We are faithful to God when we conscientiously keep our promises and resolutions and cling to Him in good and in evil days. We are faithful to our neighbor when we keep our word in all our dealings with him, and do not allow ourselves to be induced by any temptation of ambition, avarice or self-interest to commit an act of injustice.

4. Lastly, the Apostle designates moderation as a fruit of the Spirit. He who is moderate eats and drinks only as much as is necessary for the preservation of his life, health and strength; he is content with clothes corresponding with his state, and enjoys innocent pleasures only for his recreation; and, consequently, sparingly, and at the right time. Continency: Those Christians practice this virtue who manfully deny themselves everything that is against the will of God, no matter how agreeable it may be to sensuality, and who lead a mortified life. Chastity: Those have this virtue who detest every unchaste thought and every impure desire, who shun even the shadow of impurity, and keep body and soul undefiled.

PERORATION.

These are the noble fruits of the Spirit; these are the virtues and marks of a true Christian; for they that are Christ's, have crucified their flesh, with its vices and concupiscences: they mortify their evil inclinations and passions, deny themselves and follow Jesus. Let us take to heart the words of our divine Saviour: “Every tree that yieldeth not good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.”–Matt. 7: 19. Let us therefore shun all works of the flesh, and consider it the most important task of our life to yield good fruit, i.e., to practice virtues and good works, that we may be able to stand before the judgmentseat of God and be called to eternal beatitude. Amen.

From: https://www.pamphletstoinspire.com/

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Homily notes for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

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GSMC Bible study Podcast Episode 145: Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost

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Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost 9-11-22

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost 9-11-22

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Lectionary Sermon for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Sermon for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

1 Timothy 1:12-17 Too Religious Believe it or not, there is a great danger of being too religious. What do I mean by that? I mean, we can become so focused on our religion that it can become a shield that blocks out the light of God. Being religious has to do with what we believe and practice. The word is a descriptive word from the Latin “religio” meaning respect for what is sacred,…

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Bulletin for The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 16B - Aug. 25, 2024

Download the bulletin for The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, 7:45 & 10am (1.7Mb)

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Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, watch worship from McGill Baptist, recorded on Aug. 29, 2021.

Worship from Cabarrus Church on Aug. 29, 2021.

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Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

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Celebrating the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity – 11 June 2017

The fundamental dogma, on which everything in Christianity is based, is that of the Blessed Trinity in whose name all Christians are baptised.   The feast of the Blessed Trinity needs to be understood and celebrated as a prolongation of the mysteries of Christ and as the solemn expression of our faith in this triune life of the Divine Persons, to which we have been given access by Baptism and by the Redemption won for us by Christ.   Only in heaven shall we properly understand what it means, in union with Christ, to share as sons in the very life of God.

The feast of the Blessed Trinity was introduced in the ninth century and was only inserted in the general calendar of the Church in the fourteenth century by Pope John XXII.   But the cultus of the Trinity is, of course, to be found throughout the liturgy. Constantly the Church causes us to praise and adore the thrice-holy God who has so shown His mercy towards us and has given us to share in His life.

Trinity Sunday The dogma of faith which forms the object of the feast is this:  there is one God and in this one God there are three Divine Persons;  the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God.   Yet there are not three Gods, but one, eternal, incomprehensible God!   The Father is not more God than the Son, neither is the Son more God than the Holy Spirit. The Father is the first Divine Person; the Son is the second Divine Person, begotten from the nature of the Father from eternity; the Holy Spirit is the third Divine Person, proceeding from the Father and the Son.   No mortal can fully fathom this sublime truth. But I submit humbly and say: Lord, I believe, help my unbelief..

Why is this feast celebrated at this particular time? It may be interpreted as a finale to all the preceding feasts.   All three Persons contributed to and shared in the work of redemption.   The Father sent His Son to earth, for “God so loved the world as to give His only-begotten Son.”   The Father called us to the faith.   The Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, became man and died for us.   He redeemed us and made us children of God.   He ever remains the liturgist par excellence to whom we are united in all sacred functions.   After Christ’s ascension the Holy Spirit, however, became our Teacher, our Leader, our Guide, our Consoller.   On solemn occasions a thanksgiving Te Deum rises spontaneously from Christian hearts.

The feast of the Most Holy Trinity may well be regarded as the Church’s Te Deum of gratitude over all the blessings of the Christmas and Easter seasons;  for this mystery is a synthesis of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost.   This feast, which falls on the first Sunday after Pentecost, should make us mindful that actually every Sunday is devoted to the honour of the Most Holy Trinity, that every Sunday is sanctified and consecrated to the triune God.   Sunday after Sunday we should recall in a spirit of gratitude the gifts which the Blessed Trinity is bestowing upon us.   The Father created and predestined us;  on the first day of the week He began the work of creation.   The Son redeemed us;  Sunday is the “Day of the Lord,” the day of His resurrection.   The Holy Spirit sanctified us, made us His temple;  on Sunday the Holy Spirit descended upon the infant Church. Sunday, therefore, is the day of the Most Holy Trinity.

Excerpted from The Church’s Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Symbols of the Trinity: Equilateral Triange; Circle of Eternity; Three interwoven Circles; Triangle in Circle; Circle within Triangle; Interwoven Circle and Triangle; Two Triangles interwoven in shape of Star of David; Two Triangles in shape of Star of David interwoven with Circle; Trefoil; Trefoil and Triangle; Trefoil with points; Triquetra; Triquetra and circle; Shield of the Holy Trinity; Three Fishes linked together in shape of a triangle; Cross and Triangle overlapping; Fleur de Lys; St. Patrick’s Shamrock.